81st Birthday Wishes to the remarkable and extraordinary, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

“Unless you have enough merit, you’re not going to get any dakinis interested in your case. You must have merit in the beginning to want to practice and to be in a situation where you are practicing. So, they just help the show along. They’re part of your merit that you have dakinis helping.” –Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo (2022)

Today, is the 81st birthday of Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, the remarkable British Tibetan Buddhist Drugpa Kagyu nun, and founder of one of the most stunning Tibetan Buddhist nunneries in Himachal Pradesh, India, DGL Nunnery. A teacher-practitioner and passionate advocate for gender equality, female practitioners and lineages, full Bikkshuni ordination, animal welfare and vegetarianism, Jetsunma is an extraordinary example and role model for female (and male) Buddhist practitioners. 

I first came across Jetsunma and her activities after taking refuge with the 17th Karmapa in 2005, in India.  Then in person in 2012, for the first Chod empowerment given by the 17th Karmapa in this lifetime, at which I was also fortunate to be present. I visited and stayed at the DGL nunnery several times, and their temple shrine rooms covered with Noble  Tārā and female goddesses, lineage holders and students from Tibetan Buddhism, are some of the most unique and beautiful visual odes to female Buddhist Vajrayana practitioners I have ever seen. The nuns at DGL nunnery also practice Chod every day and perform dakini dance on Lhabab Duchen, which is a wonderful way to experience their activities first-hand there, here is a video I took of that here.

As a confidante and spiritual friend, I am also personally grateful to Jetsunma, for her private support and understanding of female survivors of lama misconduct and abuse.

I recently had the honour to interview Jetsunma for my podcast, Dakini Conversations, and here are other articles I wrote about Jetsunma and her activities:

AN EMANATION OF NOBLE TĀRĀ: The amazing life and activities of Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo (Dakini Conversations podcast, Ep.6)

‘I DON’T EAT MY FRIENDS’: 78th birthday offering to Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, meditator, teacher and nunnery founder, on eating animals

WHERE ARE THE GELONGMAS? DISCOVERING HIDDEN TREASURES: THE RARE GEMS OF LIVING TIBETAN BUDDHIST FULLY ORDAINED NUNS. A Pilgrimage and Field Study of Two Nunneries in Himachal Pradesh and fully ordained nuns within the Tibetan tradition.

DANCE AND DRUMS OF THE DAKINIS: Review of the Lhabab Duchen event at DGL nunnery, a fitting celebration empowering women

BUDDHISM, PATRIARCHY AND FEMINISM: Two feminist icons, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo and Gloria Steinem on patriarchal religious sexism and inequality, the annual Arya Kshema event in Bodh Gaya and new Drugpa Kagyu Khenmos

8TH KARMAPA ON CHOD: TEXTS AND LINEAGE. New translation of 8th Karmapa’s short daily Chod practice and full transcription of 17th Karmapas Chod teachings

Music? Twenty One Taras chanted by the 17th Karmapa and White Tara by Deva Premal.

May Jetsunma have a long and healthy life, and may her activities flourish!